After a long day, everyone sits around a campfire together

The fire crackles creating the atmosphere. Ayva tries to take notice of sir Micah while being distracted with the commotion. The man was still down. Ayva doesn't know what kind of history he has, however, princess Aries did not even take heed of him, it must have only been on his part.

Personally, Ayva was busy calculating the money he would send home.

After taking care of the bandits, the party confiscated a lot of money, gold and jewelry from the bandits.

The captured bandits too was also worth something.

In the morning, Micah would be escorting them back to the authority and collect the bounties the authority has for them. The party would then regroup in the next city, Red Crown.

Ayva thought about selling the confiscated weapons and armors too, but it was too much effort on Micah's part.

Of course, Ayva could reveal his inventory and takes all of those in, however, Ayva was not sure he is comfortable with that.

He does not know the guy that well.

The confiscated gold, jewelry, money as well as the bounty would be enough, Ayva thinks.

He was taking his part so that he could send it home. With sir Micah as an authority figure, the party trusted him with their monetary reward. Usually, Ayva thought, those would be confiscated by the government. However, from the look of it, they are getting the special treatment so as to not offend them.

After all, the party just rescues the princess of the kingdom, it would seem ungenerous of the king to be so impersonal. However, the heroic seems not to care about wealth. Ayva does not prive into the business of Eliza and Leonel. However, Leonel seems disinterested while Eliza is... a bit unstable right now. He was worried about her, however, they could only truly get some down time after reaching the next city.

But for Ayva, he does not have that issue.

After finally coming to term with going on this journey, Ayva starts thinking about what his goal is.

For what reason is he ready to kill other human? Why does he risk his life?

What is his goal?

Ayva stares down at his hands.

He already killed so many today. What could he do but come to term with it? Even if he washes all blood on his hand in a stream, the stain on his soul would not go away. This was the first time, in both this and the previous life that he has taken a life.

Ayva tries not to think about it.

Human was good at distracting themselves with a goal.

So, Ayva instructed Micah to send 1/4 of the money from all the loots and bounties home. 1 portion for Leonel, 1 for Eliza, 1 for Micah, and 1 for Ayva, so he should have 1/4.

That money would be sent home to provide for his family, and his growing brother. There is a a good chance Ayva does not return home again, so thinking about the future is good. Even though they didn't part on the best term, they were still family.

And that is Ayva's goal.

After taking care of the business with Micah, Ayva finally listens in on the princess conversation.

Princess Aries was a peppy girl, but she has calmed down considerably since the start. For her explanation, she told them that

'I'm sorry but I was so scared. After barricading myself in ice, I have been waiting for so long. When someone finally appears to save me, the relief overwhelms me.'

But from her interaction, she has just been riling up Eliza though, and it does not explain her refusal to acknowledge Micah. Ayva really does not know a girl's heart.

The princess' long dress was dragged in the mud but she does not care. She was so happy to get out of the ice, and being so happy that she was alive. To be honest, Ayva has expected another reaction to barely escaping with her life. If anything went wrong, the thing that could have happened to her was unspeakable, but the girl was remarkably calm about it.

It was fucked up. Only Ayva seems to care about his circumstances in this crazy world. Perhaps this is the new normal.

Sitting around the campfire, the party trades stories.

"It has been two days since I have hold up in the cave. I was so afraid that exhaustion would set in, I would fall asleep and let down the spell, or that the bandits would finally be able to dig their way through the rock.

I have been waiting endlessly for rescue, until I meet you that is Leonel."

As expected of Leonel's charisma. In a party with an imperial knight, somehow he still stands out the most and was seen as the leader, and so to him, the reputation.

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For some reason, Micah looks down ashame.

Ayva knows that the knight was big on sacrificing himself for the princess's safety as well as the royal family. Was he actually ashame that he was not faster and was the first person to save princess Aries?

However, it was impossible for Micah. Without the magic from Eliza, the leadership of Leonel or the skills of Ayva himself, it was impossible. He should not beat him up that bad.

...Unless...

For a moment, Ayva felt a cold eyes landed on Micah

Is the princess also blaming Micah for not being faster?

Ayva really doesn't understand the history between these two people.

After realizing that the opposing party was a princess, Eliza has also calmed down. Except for the B words at their first meeting, the two girls are a lot more cordial now...

Ayva hopes.

Yet, why does cordial and polite words from the girl seem to cause Leonel physical pain? Why does his childhood friend cringe at certain choice word? Why, well that is because he is a handsome bastard stuck in a love triangle

Handsome bastard should go die, really.

Ayva purposely turns his eyes away from the interactions because Leonel deserves it, only stepping in when necessary.

Eliza extends a hand toward Aries at that moment

"My name is Eliza Millbourne. I am just a silly village girl who gained the power of a saint one day. No matter how wounded the party (Leonel) is, I would always be there to take care of them and return them to full health (Leonel)." (Could you do the same?)

'Excuse me friend, why are your lips saying one thing but my ear is hearing something else? And why is your eyes conveying an entire sentence despite it just being a casual handshake with the princess?' Ayva holds back his laughter. Of course, he knows both Eliza and Leonel ever since they were children, of course he would know.

Leonel would know too.

He looks at Ayva with despair.

Currently, while the princess has kept a respectable distance, but she is still sitting on Leonel's left. And on his right is of course Eliza.

Aries takes Eliza's hands and shakes it while looking at the other girls' eyes.

Ayva averts his eyes because it was too dangerous.

Suddenly, there was a hand on his back.

Ayva looks back at where Leonel was missing.

He was missing.

Ayva turns and looks next to him.

His best friend was sitting there acting as if nothing has happened. Since when did he sneak out? It happened while Ayva was not looking, but even Aries and Eliza did not notice it. It seems this friend of his was also fast in edition to being an absolute tank.

Secretly Ayva gave him a thumb up

'Smart choice.'

But, Leonel just has to ruin it by drawing attention of the two women onto him. With a soft cough, Leonel instantly gains the attention of everyone, even the down-looking Micah

"Princess Aries, outside of Eliza and I, may I introduce the third person from our village."

Suddenly Leonel pushes him on the back

'Wait, what are you expecting me to say?'

'Introduce yourself!'

But before Ayva could do that, suddenly, Eliza jumps over and wind her hand over both his and Leonel's shoulders

"Ayva is Ayva. He is our childhood friend. We three have been childhood friends ever since we were 3. All of us has been inseparable since. Even when Leonel went on his quest, both Ayva and I joined, that is how close our friendship is.

And we are all the best. Ayva is better than any knights you have. When he was twelves, he beats up a knight instructor that was sent to our village. He is extremely strong."

Suddenly, for some reason, being acknowledged by his usually fiery childhood friend makes Ayva giddy inside, as is being praised in front of other people. However, Micah's pride probably got an even bigger blow in, but Ayva does not care right now because of how giddy he felt.

"Ah nice to meet you." Ayva nods toward princess Aries. The light blue princess returns the greeting but ah, as expected, they do not have any good chemistry at all. Still, Ayva gets Eliza. Ayva gets her completely.

Currently, Ayva, Eliza and Leonel is hanging in one corner while princess is sitting in the opposite corner. Eliza's hands was on both Ayva and Leonel's shoulder. Their closeness would make a newcomer hard to break in.

'The three childhood friends (two unwilling pulled in) will together repel the high spec princess!' Is what Eliza is thinking... probably

Ayva could only shake his head while laughing genuinely after a long time

'Why do I have such troublesome friends? Ha ha'